Whispers of 9-11

Inside the World Trade Center on that fateful day, Ari Schonbrun saw miracles.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Ari Schonbrun, who was headed to his office at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center where he is in charge of global accounts receivable, considered a last-minute assignment from his wife to be an annoyance.

It turned out to be a miracle.

At the door of his home in suburban Long Island, Schonbrun heard his wife, Joyce, yell from upstairs, "Did you do Baruch's school order?"

Baruch is the couple's then-8-year-old son. His order form for school books and games was due that morning. Schonbrun had meant to help Baruch with it the previous night – but, working late that Monday night to make up for time he would miss during the upcoming High Holidays, he'd arrived home by the time Baruch had fallen asleep.

"You're not leaving the house until you do it," Schonbrun's wife declared.

He sat down with Baruch.

He missed his commuter train.

He got to work later than usual.

His office was located on the 101st floor of the north tower, better known as Tower One. When American Airlines flight 11, a Boeing 767 crashed into Tower One, he was on the 78th floor, changing elevators in the "sky lobby."

When American Airlines flight 11 crashed into Tower One, he was on the 78th floor, changing elevators.

Schonbrun says his late arrival at the Twin Towers was the first of several serendipitous twists of fate, coincidences that he has come to see as miracles which saved his life. All 685 Cantor Fitzgerald employees on the 101st floor that day lost their lives.

Had he arrived on time, as usual, had he been in his office, as usual, he would have been the 686th casualty of Cantor Fitzgerald, the major global financial services firm that lost more employees on 9-11 than any other single business.

Schonbrun, now 56, thinks often about that day – more now, with the anniversary of 9-11 approaching.

"I was plucked out of a burning building and given a second chance," he says, sitting in a café on Manhattan's Upper East Side, near Cantor Fitzgerald's new corporate offices.

He has a new title, director of debt capital markets & asset management at Cantor Fitzgerald, where he has worked for two decades.

On the outside, he looks like he did before 9-11: tall, clean-shaven, casually but neatly dressed, pausing to choose the words before telling the story he has told countless times in the dozen years since the Twin Towers fell. Just one visible difference: his sideburns have turned white. "That happened immediately," he says. Overnight – from the shock of what happened that Tuesday morning.

Inside, Schonbrun is a different man. "I don't see my life the same way, and can no longer live it the same way I once did."

Schonbrun speaks often about what happened on 9-11 and how it changed his life. As an outgrowth of his speeches, he wrote a 9-11 autobiography, Miracles & Fate on 78, which he self-published two years ago.

Down the Stairwell

8:46 a.m. Ari Schonbrun was on the 78th floor when he heard the boom and smelled the smoke. He thought it was a bomb.

In the hall, dark and filled with smoke, he saw a coworker, Virginia DiChiara, an internal auditor, who was badly burned. "Please help me!” she screamed. “I am in so much pain. Please help me and whatever you do, please don't leave me."

"Virginia," Schonbrun said, "I promise I will help you, and I promise I won't leave you. We will get out of here.”

A fire warden directed them to the "stairwell on the left." Schonbrun slowly led DiChiara, who could not be touched because her burns were so painful, down the only staircase that led directly down to the ground floor exit. The other staircases ended earlier, on floors crowded with hundreds of people also looking to escape the flames and smoke.

"You're going to make it," he reassured his colleague. "If you feel faint, Virginia, fall forward, fall on me."

DiChiara kept on walking.

At the 75th floor, Schonbrun heard his cell phone ring. It was his wife. She started crying when her husband answered. Joyce knew that a plane had hit her husband's building. "She did not know if I was still alive," he says.

"I never got reception in my office, even on a regular day," he says. On the morning of 9-11, the call went through from the stairwell. "That was one of the biggest miracles of that day. I turned to shamayim [heaven], and said 'Thank you.'"

A moment later a man in the stairwell asked to borrow the cell phone. "Of course," Schonbrun said.

"Nothing. The signal was now dead."

"At least my wife knew that I was alive," Schonbrun says, "and as strange as it may seem, given what was going on, that gave me great comfort.”

At the 50th floor, DiChiara began to tire. "Virginia, you can do this," he told her. He poured some bottled water into her mouth and over her arms, to give her some relief from the pain.

To boost her spirits, he began counting down the floors they passed. He lied to her: "You look great."

It kept her going.

Finally, they reached the first floor.

A fire warden there told them they would have to walk down a few more flights and exit through the building's garage. Down two flights, out of the darkness, a voice shouted, "You can't get out through the garage." Schonbrun and DiChiara and the others with them trudged back to the first floor and walked out. Anyone in the garage when the building collapsed several minutes later would have died.

Across the street, in front of the Millennium Hotel, Schonbrun helped his colleague into an ambulance. headed for St. Vincent's Hospital. Schonbrun, knowing that DiChiara was in good hands, started to walk away.

"Ari, you're coming with us!" DiChiara insisted.

Thinking that it would probably be a good thing for her psychologically, Schonbrun acquiesced.

"This," he says, "was how I was driven away from my own, otherwise certain, death."

The Towers collapsed minutes later; few at the site survived.

Virginia, who has since recovered, "thanks me every day for saving her life," Schonbrun says. "But I always tell her, 'Virginia, you got it all wrong. Who saved whose life? If you hadn't insisted that I get in that ambulance, I'd be dead.'"

"Against all odds," he says, "I somehow managed to escape without a single scratch. Somebody, obviously, was watching out for me that day."

Mission to Survive

Eventually, he left the hospital, walking north.

On a borrowed phone, he called DiChiara's parents, telling them that their daughter was badly burned but still alive.

Then he reached his wife, who was crying. "Tower One collapsed and I thought you were dead," she said.

The last time they had spoken, Schonbrun was on the 75th floor of his burning building. "When it collapsed and she hadn't heard from me again, she was convinced that I was now dead. She had been trying to figure out how she was going to tell our children that Daddy was killed."

Because of the goodness of strangers and friends, Schonbrun made his way home, by subway and taxi, by early evening. He was greeted at home by 20 people, friends concerned about his fate; on his answering machine, at least 100 messages.

"You have no idea how many friends you really have until they all think you are dead."

"That day I learned something very important," he says. "You have no idea how many friends you really have until they all think you are dead."

He washed up, went to afternoon Mincha services at his synagogue, and recited the HaGomel prayer of thanks that is usually reserved for Torah-reading days.

Early that next morning, a radio reporter called from Israel for an interview.

Within a week, Schonbrun found himself speaking to individuals and audiences about his 9-11 experience. "I didn't think my story was anything special," he says. But everyone else did. You survived for a reason, everyone told him, “You have a mission. What is it?"

He realized his mission: to tell about how he survived, “to describe what God did for me," and how it changed him.

Permanent Change

A native of New York City who moved in his teens with his family to Israel. Schonbrun has always been an observant Jew.

For Schonbrun, everything did change after 9-11.

"But despite my daily rituals built around my devotion to God, there were times when I lost sight of what was really important," he writes in his book. "Was I truly aware of what I was doing through of all these practices, or was I just going through the motions most of the time? Did I just do the minimum that was required and find convenient excuses not to attend one more study session or concentrate more on the words of my prayers?"

Everything changed, Schonbrun says, after 9-11.

Just as he can list the miracles that happened to him on 9-11, he can list the changes he has made in his life:

No more cursing. Co-workers who use foul language "don't use foul language around Ari's desk."

No more talking in shul during davening time. Previously, "I talked in shul like everyone else."

No excuses when his kids ask him to come to their school events. Earlier, he'd answer, "Daddy's got to work." Today, he'll take time off for a school play, a school trip – anything involving his children. "Now family is the most important thing in my life."

Less temper. "I don't get upset over small things."

More time for Jewish learning.

And he doesn't miss daily prayers, three times a day, with a minyan.

Formerly, when he prayed, it was to make a living. Now, he prays for his children, "that my children should be good children."

Is he a happier now? "100 percent," he says.

The changes he made more than a decade ago are still part of his life, he says, because they "happened gradually, over time." He didn't try to incorporate any sudden changes overnight.

In his book and speeches, Schonbrun offers some advice. Recognize the "hand of God" in your lives. Give to charity. Do volunteer work. Seek out role models. Be kinder. Don't speak poorly of others. "Take one thing that you are not doing today, that you could do to make yourself better, no matter how basic, and make the conscious decision to do better."

Small Whispers

Schonbrun likes to tell the story of a "young and successful executive" who, speeding down an urban street in his new Jaguar, feels a brick smash into the side of his prized automobile. Angered, he backs up, gets out of the car, and grabs the kid who threw the brick.

"What the heck are you doing?" the driver screams.

The kid, crying, answers, "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop." His brother's wheelchair had rolled off the curb and his brother had fallen out.

"I can't lift him up!" the stone-thrower cries. "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?"

The driver helps lift the fallen boy and keeps the dent in the Jaguar's side as a reminder of the incident's message: "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention."

Everyone has a choice, Schonbrun says. You can listen to the whispers of life, its subtle messages. "Or you can wait for the brick."

Now, he passes out a business card that identifies him as a "Motivational Speaker." On a background of a cloud-filled sky are the words: "Listen to the Whispers."

What about the victims, the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on 9-11? How does he explain his survival while others perished? In other words, wasn't God looking out for them, too?

His answer: “God has a plan, and I can't explain.”

Imagine a small piece of black canvas, Schonbrun says. Beautiful?

No.

Then, he says, imagine it's part of a bigger canvas, a Picasso painting. The small black patch makes sense.

"We only see part of the picture," he says.

"I don't need reminders. 9-11 is with me every single day."

When bad things – or things that seem bad – happen to Schonbrun, he says he understands that they're part of a grand design.

Hurricane Sandy damaged his home last year. If it had happened before 9-11, he says, "I would have asked, 'Why me?'" As he surveyed the damage, he said to himself, "God has a reason. I don't know why. We'll figure it out.”

The 12th anniversary of 9-11 is coming up. On the anniversary, many survivors and their relatives attend commemoration and memorial services.

Schonbrun goes golfing. Alone.

On that day, he doesn't want to talk about his experiences. He doesn't want to think about it nor read the newspaper on that day.

"I don't need reminders," Schonbrun says. "9-11 is with me every single day."

The only physical memento he carries with him, on his keychain, is the key to his office in Tower One.

About the Author

Visitor Comments: 24

(21)
,
August 21, 2013 1:04 PM

My story of 9-11 is very different. My son, then 17 had gone to enlist in the United States Air Force. Shortly before he raised his right hand to be sworn in, the world as we knew it changed. He was sent home "to think about it". Within days the little boy that I had raised said to me, "Mom, you and Dad taught me to be a man of my word, I'm still going to enlist." This year he celebrates his 12th anniversary with the USAF. He has served 7 deployments and is a married man. While I deeply love all 4 of my children, this child (who will soon be 30) holds a place of pride in my heart that his brothers and sister will never touch.

(20)
YeHudit,
August 20, 2013 3:09 PM

Only survivors can understand...

He is always with us and we must be humble by His attention - day after day after day for all times... AMEN!

(19)
Basha,
August 19, 2013 5:35 PM

I feel I have been spared for a reason, although bent out of shape I still feel useful and I thank Gd for being able to share my garden with the many creatures that rely upon me for food, I feel gratitude that I wake to whatever the day might throw my way and I give thanks for all I am - Ari has been blessed with many gifts and he too is grateful beyond life itself it seems. Someone has to be left to tell the tale and this has been the way all through history.

(18)
dovid n,
August 19, 2013 5:29 PM

thank you

I cried the entire time.... your a true hero for klal yisroel ... there are many survivors who's lives didnt change for the better or simply didnt change at all ....

(17)
Stephen,
August 19, 2013 12:17 PM

ThAT LINE REALLY STICKS

"yOU DONT KNOW HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE UNTIL THEY THINK YOU ARE DEAD." THANK GOD THERE IS A PLACE CALLED HEAVEN

RUTH,
August 19, 2013 7:54 PM

Thank you for sharing your story. Truly I saw the hand of Hashem.

(16)
Anonymous,
August 19, 2013 4:18 AM

Our sovereign G-d has a plan for each life

While we iive in a fallen world where we all have free will, we will never understand why G-d spares some and not others. All we can do is trust Him, lean on His promises, even when we don't understand or like our circumstances. He sees the 'big picture' that we cannot. He is G-d; we are not. Praise Him that your perceptions/priorities are changed - for the better of those around you.

(15)
stephen gitahi,
August 19, 2013 4:11 AM

you have inspired my day.God bless ua family

God bless u always for inspiring many

(14)
Bruce McN,
August 19, 2013 1:32 AM

Stunning

This is a story with an amazing message. Thanks for sharing. Very reassuring. Good luck.

(13)
Mindy,
August 18, 2013 7:25 PM

Hashem has His plan

Thank You, Ari for sharing your heart with us.

Hashem had His plans and you were meant to continue to spread His message and sanctify Hashem by doing Kiddush Hashem.

May you continue to inspire us all with your choices and practicing the Torah!

With the efforts of each one of Klal Yisroel to help bring us all closer to Hashem and the Torah, may we be zocheh/merit to live and see the coming of Moshiach, B'Meheira V'Yameynu/speedily in our days, AMEN!!!

(12)
Nachum,
August 18, 2013 6:48 PM

And, um, what about the thousands who died?

That's all.

TE,
August 18, 2013 9:59 PM

...what about them?

...It was awful, a tragedy, horribly sad and heart wrenching. What is your question in connection to this article? I'm not sure if you're asking why he survived when they didn't (also known as "where was G-d? Can't He do anything and if He is limitless then how come He was only "able" to save a limited number of people?") - which Ari addresses as much as He can, as a human, in the article. He doesn't know. It's like asking why someone survived the Holocaust when so many didn't, or why someone survived an Intifada bombing when others were killed. Or are you saying that this article is inappropriate because others died? I'm confused. Should we not learn from someone's expriences because others weren't fortunate like them? Or are you saying something else entirely?

Jewish Mom,
August 19, 2013 6:59 PM

Each person's fate was decided by G-d

What Ari is showing here is that G-d hand-picked him to survive. We don't know why he was chosen and many others were not. But just as we can clearly see how G-d orchestrated the events that ensured Ari's survival showing that Ari's mission on earth was not yet completed, so, too, He did not prevent the death of those who perished. As in the Holocaust, no one can say, "Why me" and it does not mean that the survivors are superior to those who were murdered. It does mean that G-d allotted survivors extra time to accomplish something further during their lifetime on earth. Life is a gift, but at the same time, it's a fatal disease that invariably end in death. Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person; the worst thing is not fulfilling one's purpose.

(11)
Ron,
August 18, 2013 6:19 PM

9/11 story

What an incredible story! Our G-d, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob uses these times of great trauma to raise up believers who will tell their story that will invigorate other believers to draw closer to G-d. Ari made mention that through the events of 9/11, every thing has changed. That is very true indeed. These two Bible verses I think provides us with great insight into G-d's intentions for Ari that day Isaiah 48:10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction". Also, G-d counseled Solomon in a way that applies to all believers in 1Chronicles 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful and uplifting story.

(10)
Ricki,
August 18, 2013 5:46 PM

Amazing meanngful story!

Thank you for sharing this story, very inspiring and appropriate to be told in Elul.

(9)
Sharon Kae,
August 18, 2013 5:43 PM

Whispers of 9-11

Thank you,for your story message. Your story touched my spirit in a way that reminds me to look for positive outcomes in tough situations in our daily lives.Bless you for sharing.Shalom ?

(8)
Anonymous,
August 18, 2013 4:17 PM

true inspiration

you have inspired my and my family.. though twelve years have passed the memories of that day are still fresh in our minds.. keep on growing and inspiring others. May Hashem continue to shower only brachos on you and and your family without any bricks.. just whispers!!!

(7)
Henry Gerson,
August 18, 2013 4:10 PM

I too survived 9-11

I too survived 9-11 due to the fact that I was running about 15 minutes late that Morning B"H due to "Slichot" Services...This story definitely brings back memories and has definitely changed me as a person and my outlook on life. A Ktiva v' Chatima Tova to all... Cherish your Family and every moment of Life that Hashem gives you..

(6)
Izzy,
August 18, 2013 3:51 PM

If only........

Ari, if only more people would think and talk like you do, what a beautiful world it would be..... The beauty of this artical is the simplicity that you chose, your not trying to climb to the heavens or walk that tightrope through the canyon... Just making those changes that really do make a difference "over time" helping others, a few kind words, spending time with family, living with god every second by your side.... Thants the type of inspiration simple people can learn from. "If only" all would think and understand this direction. Life is so great when being there for others , for your spouse, kids, community and especially for strangers you never met..... Always remembering why we came down to this planet.
Thanks Ari for being such a inspiration, I will see to pass this on to whoever I can.
Good luck and may god give you the strength to continue bringing this inspiration And hope to the rest of us out there.
Thank you

(5)
Esther,
August 18, 2013 3:22 PM

Schonbrun says. "9-11 is with me every single day."

B"HThank you for this article. I relieved my own experiences. I too, had extra work on 9/10 and said to myself early 9/11, "why am I always rushing?", so I took a boat leaving Staten Island 15 minutes after my scheduled, everyday ferry trip into New York. That kept me out of immediate harm's way. I too, give thanks and daven and have an appreciation of this Gift of a Torah life is. While the clouds from the collapsed Towers enveloped lower Manhattan, everyone was running for their lives. I saw at least 4 different groups of Jews, all walking together. The men in the front, the women and girls in the middle, the younger men in the back of the formation. I saw this over and over again, at least 4 different groups from different offices trying to leave up the start of the FDR highway in Manhattan. The Jews stuck together. The young did not leave the older folks behind, those who could run, did not leave the less inclined to run, behind. This sight shook me. It was about total, full compassion. I also shared time with many people in the Coast Guard Building where we took refuge, while the Towers' collapse shook lower Manhattan as an earthquake. There I saw a Jew I did not know. I already knew the word 'daven', to pray, and I yelled at him: DAVEN! He took his coat, covered his head, and began to sway. I believe his davening got us out of there, alive. The 9/11 experience shook us all. For me, I was privy to the sight of compassion: Jewish men escorting women out of the all encompassing catastrophe, younger men making sure, no lady was left behind. Everyone around me, was running out of there for their lives, up to the Brooklyn Bridge. I decided on 9/11, to do all I could do to hasten my conversion to Judaism, to the full observance of Torah. B"H, it came to be in 2003. Thank you for letting me share.

(4)
Harry Pearle,
August 18, 2013 3:00 PM

Don't Miss TEACHABLE MOMENTS to Change!

Life is full of very ordinary TEACHABLE MOMENTS. But unfortunately, we usually miss out on them. When the Twin Towers were attacked, Pres. Bush was reading to children in a school in Sarasota FL. Students all over the country continue to struggle, because they are not getting the IMPACT of TEACHABLE MOMENTS................You don't need a disaster to have such a moment. These moments can be created with the imagination, in the classroom and in the home........Perhaps this comment, linking Sept 11 and a school in Sarasota can be one such moment for you......The Torah has such opportunities waiting for us, all the time.... www.SavingSchools.org

(3)
Michal,
August 18, 2013 2:59 PM

Idt moved me because it is so true.

...that Hashem watches over us constantlyand that HE lets miracles happen around us.It is sad, that sometimes it takes lönger untilwe see, all was arranged by HIM out of love.In the end we can say thankyou for things,which until that moment we had thought, were bad.

(2)
jimmy,
August 18, 2013 1:08 PM

SIMPLE... AM INSPIRED! I will start looking at life differently.. very differently... not in such a hurry until a brick stops me.

(1)
Rina,
August 18, 2013 11:43 AM

excellent

You are a strong soul to go thru what you did. I was living in Brooklyn when it happened, and I remember the terror in the peoples faces there, I can only imagine that it was one hundred times worse where you were. You did help save that ladies life. abundant blessings to you. May you have only good news in your life.

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...